Yvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. How will local communities benefit from the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program and other parts of the Nation Building and Jobs Plan? Are there any obstacles to the implementation?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Petrie for her question and I congratulate her on looking after not just her electorate—as with the ‘Dorothy Dickson’ from the member for Dickson today—but other electorates as well. I was with the member for Petrie just on Friday. We were announcing the support that we are giving to rail crossings as part of the government’s Nation Building and Jobs Plan.

We are continuing to roll out the community infrastructure program. Today we have announced some 146 ready-to-go local infrastructure projects in regional South Australia, worth $5 million. We have announced some 164 ready-to-go infrastructure projects in regional Western Australia. And I am pleased that we have jointly announced with the member for Lyne some $1.1 million for community infrastructure on the mid-North Coast. These projects are being rolled out across the country. Every single local government area, every single one, regardless of which way they vote, is receiving support through the community infrastructure program.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. To be relevant the minister would have to say when they are going to get the money, because they have not received it.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The member for Cook will resume his seat. The minister is responding to the question.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He has no idea. Money is already being rolled out for these programs. More than 300 council projects have already been approved. Over 129 contracts have already been signed with local government. But it is not inconsistent for this current opposition to have a local government spokesperson who opposes funding for local government, because we have local members who oppose funding for their local schools. Today we had an extraordinary spectacle. Can you imagine the tactics committee meeting this morning? There would have been about 20 of them sitting there, because everyone gets a guernsey. They are sitting there and the member for Dickson says: ‘I’ve got a good idea. I’ve got the government. They’re providing funds for Eatons Hill State School. It has 960 kids and they’re going to support them getting a hall. They’re going to support them getting upgrades. Let’s really get into them. Let’s have four questions on that.’

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We would ask that the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government answer his own question, not questions on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for North Sydney will resume his seat. The minister was responding to the question. The minister has the call.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Any day soon they will have to move their tactics committee meeting to 1R1 because everybody is coming along; everyone gets a prize. That is why we see the questions from the backbenchers, because they are all focused on themselves. Today during question time—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The minister is responsible for infrastructure. He is not responsible for the management of opposition business. We would rather he was. We would much rather he was on this side of the House and we were on that side of the House, but he is not.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The minister will respond to the question, including the addition to the question, which was about obstacles.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In this chamber there is an obstacle to the rollout of funding for primary schools; to the rollout of the community infrastructure program; to the rollout of support for railway crossings; to the rollout of support for road spending—to the rollout of these projects. There is an obstacle and those opposite indicate through their interjections who it is. Those opposite are obsessed with their own internal processes—that is why during question time today they conducted a number of ballots. Relax, Malcolm, I understand it was not about the leadership. They spent the whole of question time filling in ballots on the back bench and on the front bench. They were not concerned with issues of concern to Australians, because they are simply out of touch. They and their tactics committee are also out of their depth.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has concluded.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.